Questions & Thoughts on Avonleigh

[Speedwagon]

The Shadowlands have always been a unique Cluster. From the strange metaphysics of the Phantasmal Forest to the interconnection of all the domains with the Shadowborn family in some way or another, the Cluster has gripped the attention of many. Recently, that has included myself, but not for the usual reasons. Usually, people are drawn to Nidala, whether because of the richness of the Darklady, Elena Faith-Hold, or because of the fact that Nidala is the only domain in the Shadowlands with a population above 5 (living) people. Regardless, I've been giving a lot of thought on the Shadowlands, but not for the usual reasons of Nidala, or even of Shadowborn Manor and the Ebonbane found within. Instead, I've been thinking of the "3rd party player" in the Cluster (as described by John W. Mangrum), Morgoroth and his domain of Avonleigh.

Namely, I wanted to know a few things or ideas from the community regarding the following, to strike up a discussion and better have an idea of both Avonleigh and the Darklord, Morgoroth. I have a few general outlines of ideas for Avonleigh that I wanted to make public in case anyone wanted to use them, as well as to get some feedback on them.

Think of this thread as a place to dump ideas on Avonleigh and Morgoroth specifically!

[Speedwagon]

Speedwagon's Ramblings About Avonleigh

Devonshire Pond and Wyndham Lake
Both these bodies of water are noted for being highly filthy and, in the case of Devonshire Pond, of having noxious fumes that bubble from its depths that are released into the surroundings. It's toxic enough that Devonshire Pond even has frogs that have specifically adapted to the toxicity there and are similarly poisonous as a result. Perhaps, at least in the case of Devonshire Pond, there's some sort of reason why the toxicity is so high? Maybe, back when Morgoroth was working alongside the Circle, he imprisoned a foul beast in its depths, and that's why the pond is so toxic? Furthermore, the names of Wyndham and Devonshire sound more like settlement names than they do lake or pond names, so that got me thinking: were there villages or towns that settled by either of these locations before Morgoroth moved into the region (and the phantasms of his sins followed him and made the region haunted, hence the origins of the Phantasmal Forest)? Perhaps when Morgoroth moved, they were wary of the supposedly-reformed-wizard and moved to greener pastures, thus leaving abandoned settlements behind. Finally, given the "Dark Arthuriana" vibe of the Shadowlands, I wouldn't be surprised if Morgoroth created an anti-Ebonbane weapon that he then hid within one of the bodies of water (let's say Wyndham Lake).

The Old Fens and Schrappcroft Marsh
Of the two wetlands in Avonleigh, it's the smaller Old Fens that caught my attention first. I'm reminded of the Mere of Dead Faces in Lord of the Rings; perhaps an ancient battle that predated Morgoroth took place there? Maybe, much like the Mere of Dead Faces, the bodies in the bog are still well-preserved, and Morgoroth occasionally fishes out or studies the corpses so as to keep Aurora Shadowborn in a similar stasis? Meanwhile, Schrappcroft Marsh, despite being larger, seems more 'benign' by comparison. What's in here, and what differentiates it from the Old Fens?

The King's Highway
If there's any place to put the Headless Horseman, this would be it. But aside from him, what else can be found here?

Creatures of Avonleigh
Aside from the undead and the wildlife, what other creatures (perhaps taken from Arthurian/Celtic/Anglo-Saxon/Briton) folklore can be found in Avonleigh, to give the domain a wee bit more random-encounter variety?

Other Locales
Avonleigh may be rather small and have no occupants aside from Morgoroth, but this might've changed since the domain became a part of the Shadowlands. Here are a few that I came up with, after getting some inspiration from outside media.

• Glait's Plot: a small, decrepit church and graveyard with a crypt located on the side of the King's Highway, far from Tergeron Manor and leading into the Mists.

• Ailnoth's Doom: A small, abandoned mine located in a small hill (the size of a barrow mound) between Devonshire Pond, the King's Highway, and Schrappcroft Marsh. Phase Spiders and more prowl its darkened depths

• The Rotten Orchard: An orchard of fruit-bearing trees that stood in the woods of Avonleigh until Morgoroth arrived. With his presence and the subsequent flight of many of the old inhabitants, the orchard has been abandoned, its fruits and the boughs of its trees twisted by the necrotic energy found here. Maybe from both, one can synthesize a concoction with similar effects as the Necropolitan Amaranth?

• Mewen's Camp: A fortified campsite of the Church of Belenus and the army of the Knight-Protector of Nidala, stationed at the frontier of Nidala and Avonleigh, bordering the King's Highway. Led by a senior officer by the name of Mewen, being posted here is typically seen publically as an honor by the Knight-Protector (as she wants her best men to keep back the tide of evil coming from the Phantasmal Forest) and privately as a death sentence and a marker of disgrace (as when there's intrigue in the Knight-Protector's courts and it can't be handled by execution, reassignment to a province far far away usually removes any previously-held ambitions and one's status crumbles; and the dangers of Avonleigh ensure that most newcomers to the camp don't survive long).

Morgoroth Today
What is Morgoroth up to today? Does he have any big plans or schemes? I'd assume that the majority of them would be tied to Aurora Shadowborn in some fashion or would involve escaping the confines of Avonleigh. He seems to know that he's trapped by darker forces than him, so he's one of the few rats to know they're in a cage and, much like Azalin, he might be willing to rattle a few bars. There's a Mistway between Nidala and Darkon, and the Phantasmal Forest has been encroaching on the borders of Nidala and Avonleigh for a while; I assume that the Kargatane writers would have had Azalin's observation of Morgoroth be interesting, if only for the reason I proposed above. He's also a crafter and has deals with Gondegal and the Knights of the Shadows, so he's clearly got hobbies on every day of the year that isn't labeled "a visit from the Lost King" on his calendar.

That also reminds me: the Phantasmal Forest. Today, that's the name given to Ebonbane's Reality Wrinkle, as the "pearls in the oil" are just demilords of pseudodomains that Ebonbane corrupted in his pettiness and fury at Kateri Shadowborn and the Shadowborn legacy as a whole. But it wasn't always that way; when Morgoroth first created Tergeron Manor in his neck of the woods, the phantasms and specters of his past deeds that still clung to him seeped into the soil and permeated the area, thus leading to Morgoroth's neck of the woods being called "the Phantasmal Forest". Thus, one could say, despite Shadowborn Manor forming in 611BC and Avonleigh forming in 646BC (with Nidala forming in 615BC) that Morgoroth's presence is what created the Phantasmal Forest. Maybe Morgoroth takes offense to Ebonbane holding dominion over the Phantasmal Forest, and is trying to take it back? The metaphysics of the Shadowlands are unique and deeply tied to the unique cast of characters found there, who all descend from the same Outlander world. So I don't think it's completely out-of-the-question for Morgoroth to be engaging in a tug-of-war with Ebonbane regarding the Phantasmal Forest (and it would certainly get both him and Ebonbane to be more active and interact with one another more).

In regards to Aurora, I'm sure Morgoroth has either tried to find a way to have his cake and eat it too, by somehow waking Aurora from her slumber but also somehow keeping her in the dark on the sins he's committed. Having re-read the original tale of Sleeping Beauty, I can see an idea forming: in the original tale, when Aurora (some coincidence eh) fell into her near-death slumber, so did the rest of the people within the castle. Maybe Morgoroth, in his twisted thinking, wants to prevent Aurora Shadowborn, if she were ever to awaken, from being overwhelmed at the prospect of a world that has moved on without her. So he figures that, "why not...preserve the legacy of the Great Kingdom and the Shadowborn family, by putting everyone in a similar slumber?" Just like Sleeping Beauty and her castle, except for the whole of the Shadowlands. Of course, there's also the fact that there's nothing that says that Aurora Shadowborn is sleeping peacefully: the Nightmare Court could have lots of fun with her and Morgoroth, like they're implied to do with Hazlik. If Morgoroth figures that out, I'd think his overprotective/stalker nature of Aurora would incite him to want to take the fight to the Nightmare Court, somehow. Furthermore, if we're referencing Sleeping Beauty, then there's the prospect of Morgoroth trying things with Aurora as was the case with the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty (the tale "Sun, Moon and Talia") in which that happened to the sleeping princess. Personally I wouldn't use those for many reasons, with the least of them being that Morgoroth strikes me as a Darklord very close to being on the road to redemption and being way too overprotective of Aurora to try to harm her in such a manner (granted he's harmed her in other ways already). However, the potential for a "Mordred"-like figure to emerge from this idea is still there, and I'll put it out there for an DMs who are braver than I at incorporating such a topic.

And finally, how did the Great Upheaval affect Avonleigh, prior to the Shadowlands being formed in 747BC?

Morgoroth vs. Ebonbane
Aside from the domain/planar tug-of-war with Ebonbane outlined above, Morgoroth has something that Ebonbane doesn't: the remains of each and every member of the last generation of the original Knights of the Circle (with an extra in the form of Sir Lambert). I would NOT be surprised if Morgoroth had, much like Lord Soth did before, the reanimated skeletons and zombies of each and every knight of the Circle patrolling the King's Highway and the borders of his land (with Lambert as their leader due to him having a name similar to Lancelot). I also would assume that Morgoroth would rain on Ebonbane's parade by raiding the Phantasmal Forest with these unholy knights, using them to destroy as many of Ebonbane's precious "pearls" and Ahltrian minions s they can find before being called back to Avonleigh.

Morgoroth vs. Elena
Similarly as with Morgoroth vs. Ebonbane, maybe Morgoroth uses his unholy knights to pillage the side of Nidala facing his land (the west of the Theospines Mountains)? Alternatively, Morgoroth may hold a really big grudge against the Church of Belenus, as it was their celibacy requirement and the fact that Aurora was to become a high priestess in the faith that led to her not being with him. I could definitely see him being a subversive influence in Nidala, in an attempt to slowly but subtly dismantle the already-heretical-and-corrupt Church of Belenus in Nidala (that would probably disgust him even more than if it were the usual Church of Belenus). Finally, Theokos might be tied to Morgoroth if he isn't tied to Ebonbane...

Other Dread Possibilities

• Ferran Shadowborn, The One That Got Away: Typically, corpses under Morgoroth's control are completely and utterly obedient to him. But maybe that wasn't the case for Ferran Shadowborn. Maybe, for whatever reason (faith in Belenus, the Dark Powers deciding to spice things up, etc.) when Morgoroth tried to animate his old friend Ferran's corpse, the skeleton was not under his command at all. Morgoroth, too shocked to retaliate or regain control properly, was even more shocked when Ferran, in his undead state, told him that he still had some good left in his heart and to follow the right path, before jumping out the window of Tergeron Manor and running off. Maybe Ferran Shadowborn, now a skeleton, wanders the woods of Avonleigh (and later Nidala and the Phantasmal Forest) as a thorn in Morgoroth's side. Maybe Ferran Shadowborn, in one of those wanderings, finally met the Knights of the Shadows, and became very interested in them; maybe Morgoroth doesn't know that the Knights of the Shadows are dealing with Ferran behind his back, and if he were to know, that would disrupt the fragile working relationship he has with them (as shown in the "Book of Shadows" framing fiction).

• Other denizens of Avonleigh: As written, Avonleigh is very sparsely populated. The incorporeal dead are a dime-a-dozen, and the wildlife is well and truly wild. But I can see Avonleigh, blighted as it is, as a refuge for those who want to escape Elena Faith-Hold and her theocratic dictatorship (without straying too far into the actual Phantasmal Forest controlled by Ebonbane). Groups like Irvyne Wolfe's Pack, or even a Nidalan military camp that's just on the border of Avonleigh (as Elena believes the "true evil" she was meant to fight is somewhere in the woods). I had the thougth that maybe some Darkonian Elves might have ended up in Avonleigh and formed a community, as a result of the Via Corona Mistway drifting.

• Avonleigh might hold a few Arthurian related relics but instead relevant to the Church of Belenus. The Sword in the Stone could be in Wyndham Lake; the Holy Grail could be in Tergeron Manor or found only in Schrappcroft Marsh; other relics of Christianity like the Shroud of Turin or the Crown of Thorns and the Nail or the Spear can also be reflavored to fit Belenus and rumored (your choice if true or not) to be in Avonleigh

• If the Order of the Guardians managed to have a monastery in Markovia, then it's not impossible that they might have one in Avonleigh, far away from Elena Faith-Hold's reach. Maybe they might be holding onto an item that has gone missing in Ravenloft lore, like the Crown of Souls? In which case, they might have had to strike a deal with Morgoroth to keep the wizard off their backs.

• Merlin and Nimue, Morgoroth and ???: In the Arthurian Mythos, Merlin had a very young female pupil whom he fell in love with. In the oldest stories his pupil/lover's name was Nynave (this is often changed to Nimue and sometimes changed again to other names, with Vivien/Vivianne being the most common), and, after Merlin taught her everything he knew, she eventually betrayed him and bound Merlin in a tree, a rock or a cave, depending on the version of the story you're reading or watching. Perhaps, at some point, some woman with an uncanny resemblance to Aurora Shadowborn made her way to Tergeron Manor, and Morgoroth didn't immediately kill her? Maybe he tried to find romance anew, in the hopes of moving on from Aurora? And it didn't end very well, much like with Merlin?

Inspiration for Avonleigh
Already we know that Avonleigh is deeply tied to the Great Kingdom and the story of the Shadowborn family, and that there is a strong sense of "chivalry gone tragic" in the land. The description of the Shadowlands as "Dark Arthuriana" is definitely a fitting one, and referencing the tales of King Arthur, Merlin, and various other individuals within the Matter of Britain can give a lot of leeway to DMs running Avonleigh or the Shadowlands as a whole. Additionally, the commonality between Aurora Shadowborn's tale and that of Sleeping Beauty can also inspire DMs. In terms of said inspiration, here are a few ideas:

• Mordred

• Morgan le Fay

• The Green Knight

• Nimue (mentioned somewhat above)

• Sir Melligrance/Meleagan

• Vortigern

• The Ogre Mother (from the uncensored Sleeping Beauty tales)

Outside of King Arthur, there are other media that I've looked at and thought that they might be inspiring for Avonleigh

• Saruman and Isengard from Lord of the Rings

• Dark Souls

• The Black Cauldron

• Kel'Thuzad and Medivh of World of Warcraft

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Creatures of Avonleigh
Aside from the undead and the wildlife, what other creatures (perhaps taken from Arthurian/Celtic/Anglo-Saxon/Briton) folklore can be found in Avonleigh, to give the domain a wee bit more random-encounter variety?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Furthermore, if we're referencing Sleeping Beauty, then there's the prospect of Morgoroth trying things with Aurora as was the case with the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty (the tale "Sun, Moon and Talia") in which that happened to the sleeping princess.

Some time later, a king who is out hunting in the nearby woods, finds Talia (Sleeping Beauty). Overcome by her beauty, he tries unsuccessfully to wake her, and then, "Crying aloud, he beheld her charms and felt his blood course hotly through his veins. He lifted her in his arms, and carried her to a bed, where he gathered the first fruits of love." Afterwards, he leaves her on the bed and returns to his own city. Talia becomes pregnant and, nine months later, still deep in sleep, gives birth to twins (a boy and a girl)... The king returns to find Talia awake, revealing to her that he is the father to her twin children. The two fall in love.

!!!

Talk about 17th century rape culture

I know Morgoroth is a darklord but I would stick to the non-rape version, to have a more contemporary (rated PG) fairytale vibe.

[Speedwagon]

Furthermore, if we're referencing Sleeping Beauty, then there's the prospect of Morgoroth trying things with Aurora as was the case with the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty (the tale "Sun, Moon and Talia") in which that happened to the sleeping princess.

Some time later, a king who is out hunting in the nearby woods, finds Talia (Sleeping Beauty). Overcome by her beauty, he tries unsuccessfully to wake her, and then, "Crying aloud, he beheld her charms and felt his blood course hotly through his veins. He lifted her in his arms, and carried her to a bed, where he gathered the first fruits of love." Afterwards, he leaves her on the bed and returns to his own city. Talia becomes pregnant and, nine months later, still deep in sleep, gives birth to twins (a boy and a girl)... The king returns to find Talia awake, revealing to her that he is the father to her twin children. The two fall in love.

!!!

Talk about 17th century rape culture

Yeah…women have it rough (and in many places still do)…

I DEFINITELY don’t plan on adding anything like that at my game tables; quite a few of them have had poor experiences and I’d rather not dampen a fun albeit scary game with that. But I alluded to it for the tables that for whatever reason may think Morgoroth could try that, even if I disagree.

[Speedwagon]

Creatures of Avonleigh
Aside from the undead and the wildlife, what other creatures (perhaps taken from Arthurian/Celtic/Anglo-Saxon/Briton) folklore can be found in Avonleigh, to give the domain a wee bit more random-encounter variety?

Ahaha! How could I forget this lovely scene from Monty Python?! A most certainly fitting concept for Avonleigh

[IanFordam]

The Lady Fordam and I discussed the Shadowlands over dinner tonight. She believes that Aurora Shadowborn should be the key to defeating Ebonbane. However, she also believes that Morgoroth, Meredoth, and Morgoth must be brothers, so take her recommendations with a grain of salt.

That also reminds me: the Phantasmal Forest. Today, that's the name given to Ebonbane's Reality Wrinkle, as the "pearls in the oil" are just demilords of pseudodomains that Ebonbane corrupted in his pettiness and fury at Kateri Shadowborn and the Shadowborn legacy as a whole. But it wasn't always that way; when Morgoroth first created Tergeron Manor in his neck of the woods, the phantasms and specters of his past deeds that still clung to him seeped into the soil and permeated the area, thus leading to Morgoroth's neck of the woods being called "the Phantasmal Forest". Thus, one could say, despite Shadowborn Manor forming in 611BC and Avonleigh forming in 646BC (with Nidala forming in 615BC) that Morgoroth's presence is what created the Phantasmal Forest. Maybe Morgoroth takes offense to Ebonbane holding dominion over the Phantasmal Forest, and is trying to take it back? The metaphysics of the Shadowlands are unique and deeply tied to the unique cast of characters found there, who all descend from the same Outlander world. So I don't think it's completely out-of-the-question for Morgoroth to be engaging in a tug-of-war with Ebonbane regarding the Phantasmal Forest (and it would certainly get both him and Ebonbane to be more active and interact with one another more).

To be honest, before reading this post I had largely forgotten the structure of the Shadowlands. If you had asked me to name the domains within the cluster, I would have replied, "Nidala, Ebonbane's manor, uhhhhhhhhh, the Phantasmal Forest, and, uhhhh, the other manor." In other words, I did not recall that the Phantasmal Forest was attached to Avonleigh. Morgoroth just doesn't feel to me to be as foundational to the Shadowborn family as Ebonbane is, and so I find it disproportionate that Avonleigh has a much larger physical presence than Shadowborn Manor does.

All of which is to say: I like the idea of the Phantasmal Forest being an area caught between Morgoroth and Ebonbane. After all, if it's part of Avonleigh, then the Phantasmal Forest should reflect Morgoroth more strongly. However, if it's under Ebonbane's sway, then it should reflect Ebonbane (in particular, its hatred of all things Kateri Shadowborn) more strongly. In particular, I feel that the latter case better allows the Dark Arthuriana that you're seeking to evoke. However, having the Phantasmal Forest caught between the two allows for conflict, and of course conflict is very useful for the enterprising DM.

On the other hand, I don't find either Ebonbane or Morgoroth terribly interesting, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt as well.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

She believes that Aurora Shadowborn should be the key to defeating Ebonbane. However, she also believes that Morgoroth, Meredoth, and Morgoth must be brothers

I disagree with this it is like saying that Kharkov, Drakov and Dragonov are cousins because their names end with the same syllable, and anyway we know Meredoth is from Mystara.

Morgoroth just doesn't feel to me to be as foundational to the Shadowborn family as Ebonbane is, and so I find it disproportionate that Avonleigh has a much larger physical presence than Shadowborn Manor does.

Well Ebonbane is trapped in a sword so that makes him "weaker". Also there is the adventure with the "keys" to Ebonbane's defeat and since escaping Shadowborn Manor is not an easy task I wouldn't use someone from another domain being the key to the fiend's destruction. (Bane of the Shadowborn, Dungeon Magazine #31)

the Phantasmal Forest should reflect Morgoroth more strongly. However, if it's under Ebonbane's sway, then it should reflect Ebonbane (in particular, its hatred of all things Kateri Shadowborn) more strongly.

You are forgetting Addar the Unicorn who according to potential canon served Kateri Shadowborn before being corrupted. According to Vistani legend, Addar sired the shadow unicorns of Ravenloft with a nightmare. Addar’s Glade is a break in the trees of the Phantasmal Forest that is home to the haughty unicorn Addar who was corrupted by a nightmare in the service of Ebonbane. Their twisted offspring (shadow unicorns) have now spread into the world. Addar’s Glade travels with him. He can lead travelers to any location in the Phantasmal Forest

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, but only if they appease his immense vanity.

[IanFordam]

She believes that Aurora Shadowborn should be the key to defeating Ebonbane. However, she also believes that Morgoroth, Meredoth, and Morgoth must be brothers

I disagree with this it is like saying that Kharkov, Drakov and Dragonov are cousins because their names end with the same syllable, and anyway we know Meredoth is from Mystara.

The Lady Fordam was joking when she said it, and I was joking when I posted it. I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear!

Morgoroth just doesn't feel to me to be as foundational to the Shadowborn family as Ebonbane is, and so I find it disproportionate that Avonleigh has a much larger physical presence than Shadowborn Manor does.

Well Ebonbane is trapped in a sword so that makes him "weaker". Also there is the adventure with the "keys" to Ebonbane's defeat and since escaping Shadowborn Manor is not an easy task I wouldn't use someone from another domain being the key to the fiend's destruction. (Bane of the Shadowborn, Dungeon Magazine #31)

My counter-argument is that Aurora Shadowborn's bloodline matters more than the domain in which she's trapped. In this post Speedwagon was considering ways in which the domains of the Shadowlands might interact, and here's a way.

(Also, please understand that I'm just spitballin' here to see if I strike a spark which inspires Speedwagon. I'm not adamantly arguing for anything that I propose.)

the Phantasmal Forest should reflect Morgoroth more strongly. However, if it's under Ebonbane's sway, then it should reflect Ebonbane (in particular, its hatred of all things Kateri Shadowborn) more strongly.

You are forgetting Addar the Unicorn who according to potential canon served Kateri Shadowborn before being corrupted. According to Vistani legend, Addar sired the shadow unicorns of Ravenloft with a nightmare. Addar’s Glade is a break in the trees of the Phantasmal Forest that is home to the haughty unicorn Addar who was corrupted by a nightmare in the service of Ebonbane. Their twisted offspring (shadow unicorns) have now spread into the world. Addar’s Glade travels with him. He can lead travelers to any location in the Phantasmal Forest

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, but only if they appease his immense vanity.

I hadn't forgotten him. He is indeed a factor in the Phantasmal Forest, but not a darklord-level factor. Unless, of course, one decides that he is and that the Phantasmal Forest is his domain, in which case the tug-of-war between Morgoroth and Ebonbane just got even more interesting!

[Pizza]

There was a request for British Isles accurate supernatural beings. Has DND ever statted
anything like the ghostly black dogs from Celtic folklore?

[Speedwagon]

She believes that Aurora Shadowborn should be the key to defeating Ebonbane. However, she also believes that Morgoroth, Meredoth, and Morgoth must be brothers

I disagree with this it is like saying that Kharkov, Drakov and Dragonov are cousins because their names end with the same syllable, and anyway we know Meredoth is from Mystara.

The Lady Fordam was joking when she said it, and I was joking when I posted it. I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear!

Morgoroth just doesn't feel to me to be as foundational to the Shadowborn family as Ebonbane is, and so I find it disproportionate that Avonleigh has a much larger physical presence than Shadowborn Manor does.

Well Ebonbane is trapped in a sword so that makes him "weaker". Also there is the adventure with the "keys" to Ebonbane's defeat and since escaping Shadowborn Manor is not an easy task I wouldn't use someone from another domain being the key to the fiend's destruction. (Bane of the Shadowborn, Dungeon Magazine #31)

My counter-argument is that Aurora Shadowborn's bloodline matters more than the domain in which she's trapped. In this post Speedwagon was considering ways in which the domains of the Shadowlands might interact, and here's a way.

(Also, please understand that I'm just spitballin' here to see if I strike a spark which inspires Speedwagon. I'm not adamantly arguing for anything that I propose.)

the Phantasmal Forest should reflect Morgoroth more strongly. However, if it's under Ebonbane's sway, then it should reflect Ebonbane (in particular, its hatred of all things Kateri Shadowborn) more strongly.

You are forgetting Addar the Unicorn who according to potential canon served Kateri Shadowborn before being corrupted. According to Vistani legend, Addar sired the shadow unicorns of Ravenloft with a nightmare. Addar’s Glade is a break in the trees of the Phantasmal Forest that is home to the haughty unicorn Addar who was corrupted by a nightmare in the service of Ebonbane. Their twisted offspring (shadow unicorns) have now spread into the world. Addar’s Glade travels with him. He can lead travelers to any location in the Phantasmal Forest

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, but only if they appease his immense vanity.

I hadn't forgotten him. He is indeed a factor in the Phantasmal Forest, but not a darklord-level factor. Unless, of course, one decides that he is and that the Phantasmal Forest is his domain, in which case the tug-of-war between Morgoroth and Ebonbane just got even more interesting!

Two things: I appreciate the joke (3 arcanists with M and Oth at the end, either the well at TSR was running dry or something's up ) and I appreciate the spitballin' from everyone so far! That's what the thread is all about.

Regarding Aurora, I do think it's nice to have some relevance for a character who has been shelved through no free will of her own. The Shadowborn family characters have an unfortunate tendency of either being missing (Ferran) or in stasis (Alexei, Kateri, Aurora) despite the Cluster being based around their shared family tragedy and actions in life.

And as for your point, Meph, I don't think that having Aurora be involved would cheapen the events or the general structure of Bane of the Shadowborn all that much. We already see that the Knights of the Shadows, in the Book of Shadows framing fiction, have Gondegal negotiate with Morgoroth for some trinkets to help them contain not destroy Ebonbane. Perhaps Aurora might change the yearly mission of simply keeping Ebonbane's evil at bay into one of eradicating the fiend for good? It would also better explain why the Shadowlands are a Cluster, aside from the obvious. And like Ian said, it helps tie Morgoroth (who otherwise isn't as foundational to the Shadowborn mythos as Ebonbane or Kateri/Alexei) into the Cluster more. Granted, I also added that Dread Possibility of Ferran Shadowborn to help address this, but I think this takes a character whose whereabouts we already know and give them some elevated purpose beyond revolving around the Darklord (in this case Morgoroth).

The stuff on Addar got me thinking: I already brought up the idea of a "Darklord tug-of-war" between Ebonbane and Morgoroth for the dominion of the demilords of the pseudodomains of the Phantasmal Forest. What if, perhaps because of this "tug-of-war", perhaps because of the Dark Powers, perhaps something else entirely, some of the demilords make the ascension to full Darklord? Maybe that might change the status of the Cluster, if there's a new static piece of geography other than Nidala and Avonleigh, or if Ebonbane now has to worry about his precious pearls slipping through his fingers because of some wizard in the corner and a delusional paladin in the other corner. And it would help make the tug-of-war more interesting!

In any case, some form of the conflict between the three Darklords is definitely worth expounding upon. Conflict in a Cluster is a great way to give that Cluster some life beyond its formation, as in canon, we don't really know much of what happens in places like the Amber Wastes or the Frozen Reaches or the Steaming Lands when they first formed and how they are "today"/in 760 BC. So any more ideas are appreciated!

[High Priest Mikhal]

There was a request for British Isles accurate supernatural beings. Has DND ever statted
anything like the ghostly black dogs from Celtic folklore?

The fenhounds in Denizens of Darkness/Dread for 3.0/3.5 are based on the hound from The Hound of the Baskervilles, which itself was based on the black shuck of Celtic folklore. They hunt down those who have failed powers checks in a swamp, marsh, or fen and seek to destroy them.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

The fenhounds in Denizens of Darkness/Dread for 3.0/3.5 are based on the hound from The Hound of the Baskervilles, which itself was based on the black shuck of Celtic folklore. They hunt down those who have failed powers checks in a swamp, marsh, or fen and seek to destroy them.

But the Ravenloft product that mirrors The Hound of the Baskervilles best is Howls in the Night set in Mordent.

[Speedwagon]

The fenhounds in Denizens of Darkness/Dread for 3.0/3.5 are based on the hound from The Hound of the Baskervilles, which itself was based on the black shuck of Celtic folklore. They hunt down those who have failed powers checks in a swamp, marsh, or fen and seek to destroy them.

But the Ravenloft product that mirrors The Hound of the Baskervilles best is Howls in the Night set in Mordent.

That’s true, but in terms of answering Pizza’s question regarding creatures of Celtic/Briton folklore, High Priest Mikhal’s bringing up of the fenhounds and their prior appearance in media like the Sherlock Holmes story is on point. And I can see things like fenhounds, if they go for creatures with failed powers checks, being a reason why Morgoroth barely goes outside even after he’s been released from the mirror. Granted, he’s a Darklord so a few dogs shouldn’t be that bad of a hindrance but it’s still something and I appreciate the inspiration there!

Side note: I own “Howls in the Night” but haven’t ran it. Is it good? My PCs will be going to Mordent sometime in the next few months and I like to plan ahead

[Mistmaster]

In the Mistworld Avonleight is Nidala Capital city, and Morgoroth is a wise, if a bit too manipulative sorcerer who help the queen to reign.